


Silver Eden

by Buttersnips



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, Possible partnership tba
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-24
Updated: 2013-10-24
Packaged: 2017-12-30 08:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttersnips/pseuds/Buttersnips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His finality will decide the life of two races, destined to battle as the two greatest navy's of the galaxy collide with cataclysmic force. Drajaks life and influence will decide the fate of the war embodied through a body which is not his own.</p><p>A transformation style story, based entirely upon a random fandom depiction on how the first-contact war could have initiated and how it may have ended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Convalesce

An expansive sky of just blue, a crust of silver, lackluster, but of abundance. It may be one of the most beautiful substances on earth, but comparatively it Is nothing on Palaven, it is a simple, unusable metal for anything that isn't combat. My purpose seems that way, full of promise physically, but now rebellious in this nigh perfect world of order. The mission posed to me by the alliance didnt stick, the intention of the following discovery that was the relays and the discovery of the galaxy will be addressed soon. I've been devising plans for the invasion or "incident" earth command were dubbing it, and how to let it occur with little bloodshed. It's questionable how we found turian anatomy schematics, it itches my scales just contemplating it. Scales.. a love my father has had all his life, the discovery and engineering of reptilian anatomy to assist combat science... and genetic engineering, socially rejected. I could be called his prize possession, ha, not anymore, the hierarchy treats me much too well, it has has been mere weeks since arrival. The dawning realisation of the invasion is approaching soon, and I have a short time to make a move for humanity, but now I have a choice, in the end but what I finally do remains to be seen... 


	2. Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that much of this story was constructed on a phone at around twelvish onwards (Ironically im writing this 1 min before 12am, oop there we go, its twelve) so the quality may not be the best, im no professional writer or even amateur at this point. 
> 
> Anywho, enjoy the story!

The mass relay was crazy enough, the discovery is almost unfathomable but realistically, what does a whole race expect from a single man? A war general advising peace, and a politician planting seeds for conflict and information to quickly conquer an unknown race. The latter disgusts Drajak, even if the nature of these “aliens“ are of hostility, no race should have the intention of destruction poised toward them. The clock reads a tense seven hours to arrival and the shuttle must take scans of the solar system. The scanner only sends the scans if it's advised by Drajak, being an engineer helps this cause immensely as he did not want to send the scans to the absolute ass of a politician, rather the war general, General Sabar will appreciate them further... and with the intention of less unnecessary deaths... Untested technology is fairly worrying and at this distance, the possibility of connection with Earth was only probable. Drajak views his distance from sol, approximately three hours until the message arrived.

 “Huh, still undetected... this damn tech works“ The installation of a heat sink stealth drive prevents detection of other spacecraft at distance, but any closer than 100,000 klicks, and his position is fairly obvious. Glare destroys Drajaks sight for a moment, a Sun flare pushing against the shuttles' inch thick windows diffusing a burning orange hue throughout the cabin. The galaxy is beautiful to say the least, with many floating stations littered throughout. Alien engineering sported with elegant but straight curves, layered with yellow-silver plating.

  "21st century human architecture... efficient designs with lacking elegance". The scope of the space borne buildings were however remnant of a somewhat large population, or amazing tech". Drajak was amazed by the alien silver architecture, rather in awe, even though he has not met them at all yet, he knew they were a simple people... if a space-fairing race were described as simple. He knew them well physically, only through his embodiment, but anything else to learn will have to be done by developing a psyche of similarity. Three hours pass in moments, and the awe struck Drajak was awoken to an obnoxious call, he forced himself to rip his eyes away from the galaxy to respond. 

"Ahh, communications... perfect timing...lovely" Drajak mused at the small company. 

"Yalilaen, do you read?" 

"Yes General Sabar, loud and clear" Drajak responded calmly. 

"These reports are excellent, scans of almost every planet and its paths, highly professional and is of course, what is expected of you". Sabar reached to his brow, brushing a triad of parallel scars. Drajak makes a mental note to question his injury in the future. Drajak nods to his words. Sabar presumes to press a button- 

"This being off the record, I'm highly appreciative of your choice for peace, I will let that intolerant politician, 'Victor McMann', know that we have had problems with the communications. We want galaxy peace, not a cataclysmic vile war If we can help it" 

"Aye sir, consider it done". "If only Yal, this will be the be the next step, do your best to learn their ways, be one of them. Ready yourself, the conversion will take closer to an hour, your father has tried his best with our current technology". Drajak's father.. a joke, he wants a conquering force over the Turians, disgusting just like McMann, of course showing his own feelings would have rendered him unable for the mission, this was the only thing his father has ever done for him. and he was being used. 

"Aye sir". A short nod and he was alone again, drifting through an unexplored galaxy. Drajak thought of home, Eden Prime... he pushes the thought out of the way, there was nothing amazing to think about, he pushes himself to the next motive. His change will cause his position to be given away, as the onboard tech for the change is not representative of the Turians current technology, it must be destroyed and a fire flare isn't particularly subtle. Regardless of how weak their space sonars could be, its basically easy to be detected by anything, even the naked eye from across the galaxy. Drajak jumps to the T9 component of the shuttle, stealing a final glance at the galaxy... For the next hour. There was no way back to who he was until his mission is completed, this weighed heavily upon him, regardless of the lack of love from his father. The fate of ten and-a-half billion people could be in his hands. Strapping into the machine, Drajak takes one final breath as he closes his eyes.   


	3. Conversion

Drajak is woken with a jolt to his cranium, a shock that reverberated throughout his cowl. A resounding alarm began to speak

"Abort, unidentified vessel impound, detection imminent". Drajak looks toward a console to the right and calmly responds

"Terminal abort of T9 system error 621"  A click to remove his restraints gave indication of free movement. Hastily he retreats to the main section of the shuttle, tripping awkwardly at the embrace of a different centre of gravity, but catches himself on the monitor readings for the T9 machine. Only forty-five minutes had passed, and 76% of change had occurred. Drajak, while slightly alarmed, stayed calm as he began the destruction of the T9 system, there was no time, and if the Turians were as intelligent as the scientists on Earth had said, unknown technology would be either treated with death, or death by questioning... the latter didnt seem too advisable. A small click and an expulsion of gas signalled the loss of the T9. "76.." What tech could possibly be that fast without a relay? There were backup vials of the Turian strain, for such an occasion, Drajaks father generally thought of everything. If he were part of the humidifier engineers however, he would've increased the temperature, Prime's temperature trumped it. Drajak read the scans for areas which had not completely developed, and respectively injected it with frozen serum. The difficulty doing so however was fairly high, he had little idea of how his veins could be detected, so he just pried apart some of his plates to inject the silvery blue vials. The temperature began to sting every nerve of his unprotected skin, it felt like he was freezing even though the shuttle was at a stable 24 degrees celsius. 8 minutes to contact and the only thing on his mind was clothes and war paint, but paint would have to wait. To Drajak it didn't seem too important, but from what the scientists had said it may be. Using a short code on the locker opened it with a light click, bestowed within was a full body ceramic Dragonscale plated turian armor with respective black and metallic orange colour tones and orange l.e.d's, with a carbon fibre woven undershirt laden gently on a hook. A breather helmet created to hold his crest of  horns and the back of his plated neck tightly, all other areas of his head were full of room for his moving facial plates and mandibles. His mandibles were a problem apparently, remnant more of a middle aged turian than a late 20's one, and even then on the high end of the scale; Drajak pondered the fact of how the Scientists on earth knew so much of their physiology without them knowing of our existence at all. The undersuit was surprisingly light even with the larger size of a Turian body, the magnetic seams between each section of the undersuit made putting the clothing on his foreign body simple with amazing ease. It felt constricting around his carapace however, to the point where a human would stop being able to respirate with comfort, more-so strange as this while new body basically extrudes predominantly from his chest as an extension of his former chest. Gloves were now on, slipping into the arm seams, and finally closing the suit everywhere except for his head, now for the armor, a complete hope for something lighter, it felt as if he was carrying half a tonne of lead last time, the new armour has his input and should theoretically be lighter. He accidentally scratches the paint off of the locker while reaching for the undershirt, his talons scraping with a shrill. if time had permitted, cutting them back would have been preferable. He had plenty of practice back on Earth, however the constant need to cut them back every two days will be somewhat inconvenient though.

*armour*

 Firstly applying the kinetic shielding pack is never hard... as a human, however being Turian and in a rush made it difficult, reaching behind his back and under the carapace to make it slot into the undersuit was a lot harder than it looked, it felt as though his arms didn't reach far enough. Design flaw, lovely. His armor fell on without a hitch, clicking into each other as he slipped the pieces on. It felt comfortable, surprisingly lightweight, a feather compared to the previous. Finally the helmet, he took it off the rack and noticed a large mirror in the locker, rushing completely distracted him from the object. Drajak stared at his face for a moment, flicking his fairly large mandibles out to either side, baring a maw of sharp teeth. He turned his head side to side to get a full look then began to clasp the horn section of the helmet to his horns and the scaled rear section of his head and neck. The visor then clipped into place sealing the suit. Three minutes remaining until the Turian boarding, a fair amount of time for checks on his whole suit. His personal Visor was completely unobstructed, allowing for great sight, clarity and mandibular movement. It also had a small hud lit with orange to the bottom right of the visor that Drajak had designed and created himself, made for tracking the shields and weapon statistics from the magnetic holsters from his hip, forearms and back. All clear... now weapons.. weapons... Looking back at the locker he opened drawer full of weaponry, made to fold up and contact when in contact with a magnetic surface which in a combat situation would be the orange led plates on his back and hip. Nothing seemed remotely Turian from what he has seen aside from his personal Rifle, so he just picked up a fully auto assault rifle, his own personal and aptly named magnetic action sniper rifle "Jolt 551" and a semi-automatic sidearm. Crafting sniper rifles had been a passion for Drajak for years, and the magnetic action he uniquely created himself for high rate of fire and decreased recoil was groundbreaking, it has comfort with the ability to house a destructive round that could penetrate any steel up to five feet in thickness. (Magnetic coil system underneath barrel regulates recoil when a bullet is passed through, attracting the gun to the ground in a stable way, also taking any side to side recoil away completely. it also has a compatibility for a new round mechanism, allowing for either kinetic rounds, shaven rounds or normal rounds, kinetic takes power from another battery pack or from the users kinetic pack.... Pretty hardcore) The extra weight hardly phased him, turians are amazingly strong with upper body weight. A contact line is received from the other incoming shuttle, Drajak takes a small sigh and opens the line. 

"This is a turian space security vessel, please respond or prepare for an armed boarding." The inhuman flanged voice seemed alien, but Drajaks translator device immediately changed his somewhat Japanese sounding words into something a little closer to home. 

"This is Drajak Yalilaen... I was discharged from a ship via escape pod but I cannot remember why" his voice purposely shaky from the cover story he practiced to enter the solar system under a new identity.

"From what I recall... I think I hit my head quite hard. I've been out of fuel for a while, with just enough to pass through a huge blue light.. thing". 

"Are you alone on the ship?" replied the Turian of the other ship. "Yes.. I am alone.. where am I exactly? all I remember is a ship..." Drajak wasn't exactly a professional at having persuasive amnesia, but it seemed to work. 

"Does your ship use eezo? From our scans it doesn't match any styles from the intergalactic community" he seemed to be cautious.

"I'm not sure, I'll unlock the doors from the outside so you can get in." A click then silence ended the call. Drajak felt shaky at this moment but strangely calm mentally, clear minded even though it was the interaction with a completely new species, further with the irony of him being one of them. 


	4. Concurrence

They had no trouble with the door, quickly checking the small cabin with silver and yellow weapons. Drajak stopped pacing the room and stood straight with arms parallel to his sides. He decided to be militaristic, they seemed to be part of some government wing. 

I hope they are... 

Doubt clouded his mind for a moment but was washed away as what looked like the leader approached him with two armed guards. 

"You can take the helmet off, the cabins have been pressurised." It was the same turian that had greeted him over the com. He stood at a similar height, making his dark metallic eyes bore into Drajak all the more as he took his helmet off. The turians' eyes widened for just a moment, and the other two Turians with the weapons began to look as well. Caution rushed through Drajaks mind, what was wrong with him? 

"Yalilaen... we checked for your name before boarding, but no Yalilaen has been alive since the first of the turians left Palaven for Menae. Now a Turian can't live for thousands of years so I'll need a story". 

Thousands of years since they left Palaven? Is that their homeworld? Since space travel? His last name is this same as a turians'?

The questioning look from the leader led Drajak to speak. 

"I cannot remember how I got here at all, I just remember being forced into a shuttle and being knocked unconscious. I do know that this is my custom rifle and armor". Drajak pointed a thumb to his back and flicked his mandibles once, gaining another sideways look from one of the other turians. "May I take a look?" Drajak was reluctant, but gave the leader the weapon. Its black and orange sheen reflected with the shuttle's blue lights, giving the Jolt an ominous glow. 

"This is a work of art, unloaded, good, seeing as that is your weapon, you can hold onto it. The other weapons, however will have to be seized. They look like Batarian arms and could possibly explode at any moment eh private?" 

"Aye sir" The same turian gave another sideways look at Drajak, and Drajak stared straight back with cyan eyes. He couldnt see his face behind the visor but he shuffled with unease. Drajak reverted his attention back to the leader and surrendered his two "Batarian" weapons. Who were they? Another type of Turian? Drajak questioned this quickly and received his 551 back, but mustered courage for a moment. 

"What is a batarian?" The turian shuffled again and the leader flicked his mandibles at the ground for a moment and did what sounded like a short laugh. 

"Sounds like you have some extreme amnesia haha, come, I'll have your shuttle fueled and taken to our hangar... It does use eezo doesn't it?" 

Eezo? The stuff found in Indonesia that gave those kids biotics, well cancer but still biotics. 

"I'm not sure, I think it might..." Element Zero ahhh, that's right. 

"We will take you to our Medbay for some tests on your bodily functions, see if you check out as clear. Then we will need to ask you some questions on your current shuttle and equipment, then see if we can find a profile through that... So you don't remember where you are from at all?" The leader seemed formal in stature but did not speak formally, it eased Drajak to an extent. 

"Men, check the shuttle for any faults, I'll send a mechanic down in a moment to check the fuel". He motioned Drajak to walk with him. The ships hangar was a fine size for 12-16 of Drajaks shuttles. "Welcome to my ship, The Vriction, oh also, I never told you my name, General Zylrox of the 1st Apien Crest Fleet and Navy. My men and I were stationed here to protect against any unauthorized relay movement into the Trebia System for a small time. Our engineers were quite surprised to find your ship in the last hour, it seemed as though you had stealth systems engaged?" Almost everything that would've been suspicious was destroyed on the T9 component of the shuttle, perfectly planned, and Drajak was thankful for that. 

"Not entirely sure sir, I am no ship engineer, just a weapons mechanic." 

"So you know everything that you have worked on, but your life has slipped through amnesia? That seems quite destructive but a rare case. At least you remember the aspect of trade in which you work". If Zylrox was skeptical about Drajaks story, Drajak couldn't see it, a Turians facials are hard enough to read, but with the way they speak it was hard to notice anything except for doubt. They approached what seemed to be a lateral elevator, Zylrox pressed a button and it opened with a hydraulic hiss. The whole interior of the ship was a silvery grey, with white and blue lights littered throughout, the shaping was all very simple with angled corridors but a lacking of curves. It felt very similar to his weapons making, he was always scolded for his lack of design, but all the mechanical prowess he created trumped the fact of needing a good design, just comfortable in the needed places, like the ship. The small elevator felt like an Earth elevator, lightyears away with the same motion of technology. Amazing. 

"Quick question" Zylrox started, "Where are your homeplanet facial tattoo's?" 

"Tattoo's?, I found paint in the shuttle, was that what that was for?" Drajak was a little confused. Facial tattoo's? Not paint... damn, well of all the things the scientists messed up at least it wasn't that important. 

"They are quite important in id'ing a man for their planet, or previously, their clan, and also look quite fearsome, or that's what my men say. We have had that trait for anyone that has reached their final stage in maturity for millennia... Those who don't are told to never be trusted." 

Well fuck.

"Don't worry we will sort you out on Palaven, you have just reached maturity recently haven't you?" Zylrox continued with a raised brow. 

"Yes I, uh-" Drajak quickly looks into his helmet and turns the hud on. Zylrox gives a curious look to see what Drajak is doing. 

"You don't even remember your age?" 

"I think its in my helmets Heads up Display.. I know I have some info on there, I designed it for my biology... uh twenty-four sir". 

"Twenty-four? Merely an adult and you are already making high tech advances, young engineers could easily look up to you." Drajak flushed a little, well he would've if he was human, instead he flicked his mandibles. 

Maybe thats why they were so surprised with my face... huh... 

It was a short distance from the elevator to the medbay. There were more turians here, than the shuttle bay. It looked like a meal cycle, but with so many people standing around it must be near night. Drajak could see what looked like beds through small sensor activated doors. As he gazed mindlessly across the room in moderate surprise of the congregation. Eyes, however began to burn into him, hitting with a cold analytical set of stares from almost every turian in the room, talking stopped immediately and muttering ensued. Drajak pulled his gaze with a questionable look and a right mandible flick directed away from the people in the room. It gave him ease. Zylrox looked to across the room, his expression hidden from Drajak as it shot past him and addressed everyone and they went back to what they were doing immediately. The door to the medbay opened silently, there were two dozen beds and two doctors on duty. All the beds were empty except for two, one with a sheet covering a body and the other a turian with no left mandible sitting up and being inspected by a doctor covered in a white and orange loose fitting set of clothing. The inspecting doctor's attention squared to Drajak and Zylrox, removing a small air sprayed paint mechanism that painted on a substance to the injured turians' mandible joint. 

"Kerin, how are things holding up?" Zylrox started as the doors closed behind them. 

"Well sir, it certainly isn't my face, I'm lucky to be alive as it wasn't even a radioactive round" Kerin responded without a seconds thought

"Those damned batarians can never put up a fair fight regardless, I read the report, batarian weaponry skills are still not up to par." Kerin motioned his mandibles at the statement.

"That, we, and many others can agree on." The blue paint like substance covered Kerins destroyed mandible and healed all open flesh with a covering of skin. Drajak was moderately shocked at how quick the healing process was, but saddened a little that the Turian had almost completely lost his mandible, teeth bared and unprotected. 

"You're good to go, are you sure you don't want a prosthetic?" The doctor looked at his board and Kerin looked down for a moment. Zylrox moved closer to examine what was left of the mandible. 

"We have the funding, there's no problem with that" Zylrox applied a caring tone to his voice. Kerin was only young, from what Drajak knew, probably the same age as he.

"No, I will keep this sir, out of memory to not reiterate my mistakes".

"Just remember the option is always there, including if you are having trouble eating eh? Also remember that if it weren't for you the sniper would never have been located so easily, you indefinitely saved more lives with keen eyes than that batarian sniper trying to protect his whole platoon from a scout! He was cloaked as well?"

"Yes he was..." Kerins orange eyes striked at Drajak for a moment before looking down. 

"Well an amateur mistake led to the protection of three dozen men, and I say well done to that, I'm just very happy that you are alive." Kerin drops off the table and looked over to the covered turian. He turns back to Zylrox slowly, with a very slight twitch. 

"Just one"

"The doctors did their best with as much equipment we could apply at our disposal, she was just too unstable from the molecular distortion and in too much unbearable physical trauma to come back... I'm sorry, we forced our best." Kerins expression softened heavily at Zylrox's words.

"She was everything... I must acknowledge our spirit...please." Kerin turned away to the body. Zylrox motioned Drajak the doctor to a door hidden behind a machine and led them inside. Drajak gained one last look at Kerin, on one knee and head on the middle of his partners' body, hovering above with his mandible-less side slowly resting against the white sheet. 


	5. Distraught Countenance

The door shut quieter than a feather hitting the floor, a sullen silence falls for a moment and Zylrox sighs to cut through the silence.

"Kerin is strong, we must tread lightly and assist him to overcome his grief."

The doctor nods slightly, even for someone that was taught that some lives may slip through the canyons of pain he was clearly distraught and uncomfortable. Zylrox caught this as well.

"Do not be worried, as long as you tried everything, there should not be anything to regret. They have her now, and her spirit will guide us further." A short silence accrued as his final word rang out in the room. The doctor sighed and moved a gloved hand to smooth his shirt.

"This is Drajak.. Yalilaen, we found him floating through the galaxy just after the relay and claims to have little memory of his previous life aside from his professions." The doctor looked to Drajak then Zylrox with half lidded eyes.

"I'll.. I'll set it up sir, do you wish to have an input with the psyche tests, seeing as that level of amnesia it's quite astonishing. It has occurred before." Zylrox raised his right facial plate, representative of an eyebrow raise.

"I will stay here" Zylrox raises his arm and pressed a series of holographic buttons- "I paged Dr. Durn to leave the medbay, Kerin needs as much room as possible."

Drajak was highly surprised at how much he was doing for a single man, any human general would've given a back pat to such an occurrence and possibly file possible mental problems from the psychological trauma, it seemed as if Zylrox was blatantly sympathetic to Kerin or there was something about Zylrox hiding covertly empathetic feelings. 

"With the psyche test first, we will ask you a series of questions then we'll do a full physical and create base records of everything about you, if your story is legible to the Hierarchy of course." Zylrox seemed blunt with that statement, Drajak began to feel unnerved.

 

A simple series of questions were thrown Drajaks way, with many asking of what seemed to be history, physiology and technology. He knew nothing, and that was the complete truth, the amnesia story had worked well. 

"Just a quick brain scan doctor, check to see if everything is of normality."

Zylrox motions Drajak to the only med bed and the doctor moves to a bench and opens a small locker box to what was a red dough kind of substance and a series of wires and nodes leading to a small receiver.

"This will be a little cold, I'm just going to apply it to the sides of your neck." The doctor was quiet but still punctual.

"We call this the neutron node brainwave monitoring system, it won't cause you any pain, it's damn cold though, like an obnoxious south wind." Zylrox wasnt lying, it felt like ice, but it was over as quickly as it started. The doctor scanned over a panel on the wall next to the bed, an amalgamation of symbols strikingly similar to the script of the Asia region of Earth. "Brain activity is very normal with slight raised alertness." The doctors' voice picked up in volume, echoing gently across the room. 

"Excellent, we will run you through a body scan and create or re-find your personal information". Drajak unloaded out of his armor, and reasserted comfort on the bed.

 

What seemed to be a quarter hour passed with Drajak on his back being swept to and fro with a red laser grid. Zylrox uploaded the results to his-

"It's an omnitool" Zylrox caught his gaze and noticed his question. "A mini processor of certain information".

Drajak presumed to nod and sit up as the laser scan had completed.

"Well, we have quite the strong Turian here, amazing. Thickest scales possible, above average height, well defined muscle mass... and as was seen, abnormally large mandibles". Drajak shot Zylrox a concerned look, and he replied with a short laugh, "Don't worry about mandible size, at least you will be able to keep all your food 'inside' your mouth. Its a real turn on anyway for any female around". He left the comment with a sly smile, and proceeded to show the doctor the results. Drajak felt mildly light headed, and proceeded to remove a single undershirt sleeve as it had folded upon the seam. He fitted the sleeve back and proceeded to stand up to put his armor back on. Zylrox looked over, 

"We will get something custom made that's indefinitely lighter and more comforting than that armor. You didn't have any personal care supplies with you either? I'll get someone to get that sorted and show you to your living quarters, however it will be solitary for now if that's not a problem. I trust you but many others will not, hopefully you will understand".

"There is no problem with that sir-"

"Oh darn the thought completely passed my mind, are you hungry at all? It's currently the pre-night cycle at the moment".

"No.. no I'm fine, I don't remember the last time I ate, aside from some, uh paste substance in the shuttle".

"Nutrient paste survival heh, alright, I'll send someone to attend to you for your quarters and supplies as everything here checks out". Zylrox seemed somewhat jovial, to Drajak it meant null, tiredness had finally set in, today had been shorter than expected but still ridiculously long and its taken its toll upon all of his bodily aspects. Drajak walked out after Zylrox left and scanned the medbay, Kerin had left, and his partner's body was not on the med bed anymore. He presumed to walk to the front medbay door and waited sitting on a bed. Moments later, a somewhat shorter, younger turian walked into the medbay and immediately walked to Drajak.

"I'm..." he stared at Drajaks face for a short while, green eyes scanning him rapidly. Drajak stood up at this time,

"Im Drajak, nice to meet you?" Drajak was questionable about what the young turian was thunking of. He had what looked like a very recent facial tattoo set. 

"Im Ion and I have been requested by Zylrox to take you to your quarters," his voice was noticeably emitting surprise, Drajak thought of the tattoo tradition again, it felt obvious enough.

"Well thanks Ion, just get your facial tattoos?" 

"Yeah I did" he flicked his mandibles in excitement and began to walk out of the medbay with Drajak trailing next to him.

"How old are you?"

"17" Ion half looked at Drajak

"17? That's quite young to be on a hierarchy ship and to have tattoos already."

"It has been my dream to be part of galactic justice." 

"Oh?" Drajak raised a brow plate.

"Well partially." He pressed the button to the elevator and they moved inside. Drajak felt closer to a foot taller than him. 

"I'm actually an artist and I requested to be assigned to a ship to further my knowledge of the galaxy and gain combat experience to go up a level in the hierarchy." 

Up a level? Drajak had much to learn, he was probably going to need to do this to gain trust, rise up ranks quickly.

"You have a lot ahead of you."

"Primarily being an artist isn't particularly the most notable thing to aim for on Palaven, but I'll make it work along with some custom tech I'm constructing, I know I can do it all." Ion chirped intelligence, it was clear to see he was going to go far. 

The elevator stopped to a long corridor, Ion moves out at speed with Drajak following along behind. They stopped at a door. 

"This is it Drajak" Ion handed Drajak a card. "Upload it to your omnitool and you can always get in your room."

"Thanks Ion, see you around". Ion nods and moves back to the elevator and Drajak enters the room.

*Heh, generosity for an outsider*.

 


	6. Cannon

Chapter 5: Cannon

Sleep was too easy to find; he felt safe and at ease, not a thought wandered as his unpertubed subconscience drifts through dreams. A harmonised buzz resounds, waking him, pulling the final dream of flying off a cliff away. Will he be able fly or to meet his demise in a spectacular fashion? This envigorated him as a seemingly powerful force as he went to shower. The water was blisteringly hot, caressing every plate as an exothermic force of relaxation. He checked over his body and did a scan once again, checking everything that wasnt formed previously. Scales covered almost every part of his body that wasn't in contact with the pinch edges of a joint. Protection, there was no other word to explain it. The shower continued to rush until it changed to a moisture evaporating heat, peeling every drop of water off of his body, leaving him completely dry. Drajak looked at his talons.

*They definitely need to be cut*

He retrieved the talon clipping kit from the basin inside the shower. Aside from the bedroom with a sizable bed and footlocker, the shower was the only internal door to the cabin, probably being around a quarter the size of the main room. Just as the lock slipped, an alarm sounded-

"Incoming anomalies, incoming anomalies, prepare assault"

Drajak immediately lunged for his Jolt from around the corner, flipping the gum to his bed, then bounding to his armour closet. He could hear running and metallic clicks; the alarm continued to resound unrelentlessly. He fitted everything except for his gloves, it would have been impossible with his talons as they were. The door opened with a quick swipe of his omnitool and he ran toward the brief area on his level of the ship. He ran with many other masked turians, all with highly advanced armour. It hadnt occurred to him that he was in the commander quarters of the ship, as they flicked looks his way as their small train of men reached the area; Zylrox stood in the centre of focus in matte black and purple heavy armour with his helmet off. Drajak looked at his tested shield levels and found abnormalities. **Not fucking now** His mind raced and destroyed a brick wall as he created lattice gloves with his omnitool lined with kinetic reactors. The shield passed over his hands with a tingle and the levels became stable. *reminder, nail trim checks and battery packs in the gloves are highly important*

"The batarians, the batarians! They have found a way to bypass multple mass relays!" Zylrox's created many small gasps and head shakes and mandible clicks throughout the commanders.

"We are leading an initial emp run, then boarding in 10 mins, no questions asked, you must command each platoon in perfect unison, keep in touch in any situation that isnt of stealth consequences, be careful with your men, this should be a routine extermination and capture, just with them attacking us. Be strong, spirits guide us, for Palaven!"

*For Palaven!* 

Every commander ran off to other areas of the ship, and Zylrox beckoned Drajak.

Without looking up from his recently retrieved datapad he addresses.situations to specialists.

"Drajak, i need you to assist a covert op, Is your rifle silent?"

"Yes it is, sir"

"Alright then" Zylrox throws the data pad to Ion standing near him.

"You help with the defensive just in case they pull anything" he addressed Ion. He nodded and moved away swiftly.

"Come with me Drajak, and deactivate any lighting in your suit" Zylrox slipped the two parts of his helmet together and proceeded to walk to the side of the ship and not to the cargo bay. As they moved quickly, Zylrox realised the webbing on Drajak's hands.

"Thats a way to get rid of gloves, will you be fine with lower shields?"Zylrox said almost with a hinting at regret.

"They were 10% less until i applyed kinetic webbing".

"Remind me to get you to show our engineers that, they will go crazy over new tech". They approached a small carrier, four completely armoured and masked men stood next to it, lights deactivated and with silenced weapons. Drajak programmed the fabrication of a hand cannon supressor as he saw one of the men almost throw their gun away. 

"Ill fab that, hold on". Looks went his way for a moment as he threw a supressor constructed in 4 seconds at his fellow turian. He also began his own pistol supressor. 

Zylrox began again - "Remind me about that".

"Ok, all weapons and persons accounted for, we know what we are doing, what the commitment is and what they need to learn; simply, lets destroy them, this is not their space. The way to completely rip control will be us as we covertly make our way through the main ship in two teams. There are no blueprints of the enemies', ship so we need to progress seperately but in unison".

Drajak pulled his omnitool out once again, another piece of tech.

"May i make a request Zylrox?"

"Go we have 3 minutes".

"I have a program that will create a lateral blueprint of the ship, the strength could possibly reach a few hundred metres in any direction, i could broadcast it to us and assist us excessively and very well".

"Bullshit." A man spouted from the four, he wore the same armour, with the same scratches consisting of a black and red scheme, from his personal boarding party.

"Do it Drajak".

"Done".

"Emp's have detonated, their ships are cold, lets hit them while they sleep".

Each turian climbed into the shuttle, perfectly comfortable for two more. Zylrox pilots the ship and launches to the gaping expanse of space, littered with ionic electirc currents spreading across the Batarian ships, causing some ships to pitch and roll slowly. The shuttle pulled away quickly, a 30 second trip to the escape pod section of the ship. A pod had been launched prior to the battle; this made a perfect landing zone. 

"Ok, Pellin, Vorx and Ravaên, this is your landing zone." They became dangerously close to the war-battered ship, similar in size to the Vriction but red in colour. 

"Cloak once you are in, find an area to dig in close by and we will relay tactics using the lateral map once we land on the other side". Zylrox spoke with unwavering skill. Drajak threw a fabricated software pad with the lateral map program to Ravaen, the Turian in red and black. Zylrox lined the ship up with the shuttles' cannon, launching a low velocity explosive device at the closed doors, it created a dent but nothing more. 

"Go, use your omnitools to break through". A small hiss from everyones helmet syncopated with the opening of the hatch, Drajak held on for fear of drifting. The three turians launched themselves out of the shuttles small bay, and landing on the platform with grace. Zylrox brings the shuttle to the opposite side of the ship where a docking area for foot traffic was easily accessible. 

"Kerin, i need you to use the heat laser, we have only a little fuel, so make the cuts substantial but conservative".

Drajak was surprised at Kerin being on the mission,

*his mind must be strong*

 In comparison to the batarian ship, their shuttle was a mere speck, any fear of being caught wouldve only met with someone looking out a window. The lacking of resistance either meant the Batarians were waiting or they were unorganised, the latter seemed the most worthy of note, as their travel through the relay may have been a mistake; a soon to be fatal mistake.

Kerins cuts were of perfect accuracy, a display of the trust Zylrox has in him.

Zylrox attaches the shuttle using electromagnets to the main ship. All three left the shuttle and walked through the destroyed panelin the first door of the airlock, each with weapons at the ready, Drajak with his Jolt leading the right of the three, to the bow of the ship. Zylrox hacked the panel to open the second door, a loud whooshing sound pushed a form of air past him, each of the three moved through one by one quickly. The door shut as quick as it had opened. The ship was of course.... Too quiet.

 

 

 

 


	7. Covert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Turian Talons"

Chapter 6: Covert

 

The whooshing sound left the barely-spacious halls to a deep silence. Kerin and Zylrox activated their cloaks while Drajak initiated the map between the two teams. The other team could be seen via the map, along with various other heat signatures fairly close in front of them toward the bow. The system of paths were hardly confusing, lining the edges of the outer ships walls, however there was a very large space before reaching the bridge, it was full of men. By the scale of the map, they and the other team were around 200 metres away from.the bridge.

 "We move with silence" Zylrox broadcasted to both teams.

"Progress toward the large empty section of the ship, any battles until there should be simple enough". Zylrox moved a hand in the motion of the bridge and they moved in unison, checking each small room. They had approached a mess hall, many batarians had kept here. 

"On my go" Zylrox throws a small disc which floated silently toward the enemies behind cover. With a push of the omnitool, an explosion and an emp blast sent resulting screams throughout the large hall, gutteral and alien. 

"Menae 2 breaching mess hall"

"Menae 1 breaching mess hall".

The two teams attacked their respective halls. Drajak moved to left side of the room behind a pylon, taking a shot or two from blind fire, annoying but to be expected. Zylrox progressed to the right with Kerin staying behind to take cover at the doors. Drajak flipped around the corner and fired 3 shots to the craniums of 4, four eyed aliens 50 metres away. Many of them took cover now, they had either overestimated their low shield strength or underestimated powerful rifles. Zylrox fired a single shot and let his Sniper rifle vent. A resulting explosion led to more screams, Kerin follows through with 2 shots, clean body shots through the sternum. Kerin continued to fire into their sternums as a friendly reminder that standing behind an upturned table is probably not the smartest idea. Drajak fired another 5 shots through cover, reblessing his creation of a magnetic induction mechanism. Zylrox finished off the last one, a shot right between the eyes, a deadeye. Twenty enemies in ten seconds, the silence which ensued was not unexpected.

"Menae team two, come in" Zylrox siad with composure as the three of them progressed toward the exit. 

"Menae team two here, twelve enemies disposed sir". 

"Secure the hall and progress further, the large hall is next" Revaen responded.

Zylrox raises a hand to move, and hacks the exit door, Drajak leads. They continued to check the crew quarters, quickly. The sun became blocked by the Vriction, removing any light from entering the reddish windows surrounding their right flank. It was almost pitch black. 

"Activate your flashlights" Zylrox spoke with a whisper. A single footstep was heard to Drajaks left, mind off his flashlight immediately as a batarian attacked with a serrated blade from the shadows, Drajak blocked and parried the inital blow with his greaves, causing him to drop the Jolt. Without a second thought Drajak scratches the batarian with his talons, ripping deep gashes into face, then leading to a slash across the throat before a scream could be uttered. He fell, lifeless as his final breath escaped as a whisper. The blade clattered to the ground. Drajak stood shocked at the red blood seeping from his gloveless latticed talons. The Batarians face was ripped to shreds from the single strike. Kerin retrieved the Jolt and gave it back to Drajak. 

"Are you alright?" Zylrox asked

"That.. uh somewhat worked out... first hand to hand experience with that happening sir". 

"We were given these for a reason, they are of course pointless now but, it seemed today it has saved you". Zylrox replied with a positive yet stern tone.

Drajak retrieved the serrated blade and hilted it to his free magnetic pad.

*A momento* he thought, *a grim momento*.

"We shall continue". Zylrox once again motioned his hand forward.


End file.
